It’s not 100% completed, but it will be by the end of this year
Hyundai’s 2017 factory World Rally Championship entry is going to be another i20-based vehicle, although this one looks much meaner than the one currently used. Set to debut next year, this i20 will also take full advantage of shifts in WRC regulation allowing it to be faster than ever before.
Firstly, a larger restrictor will allow Hyundai to up the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine’s power output to 380 hp, while the car itself will be allowed to be slightly lighter than before.
The car shown at the Paris motor show 2016 is not finished though, but to the WRC spectator the changes still to be applied will seem minimal – this is basically the car you’ll see racing next year.
“The 2017 WRC regulations have allowed all teams to start from a blank page, which has offered us an exciting engineering challenge. The changes will raise the level of entertainment in WRC on stages around the world with wider and more powerful cars,” said Team Principal Michel Nandan. He added that “the 2017 car started testing in April with initial work centred on engine and powertrain testing. More recently, we have looked at suspension, differential and aero. There will be some small evolutions on both chassis and engine later this year. We look forward to revealing the final version of our 2017 car later this year.”